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When will lockdowns end for good? Are the vaccines safe? There are so many COVID-19 questions circulating right now. We know our listen newsletter subscribers love Coronacast so we chatted with host Tegan Taylor to get behind the scenes just for you! Plus, she shares some simple tips to making lockdown life a little easier.
Coronacast has been an amazing tool for people to access information on COVID-19 updates since March 2020. What made you think to release this podcast and did you anticipate how helpful of a resource and popular it would be to so many people?
I can’t take credit for this idea – Coronacast was the brainchild of Tanya Nolan from ABC NEWS. But at the beginning of the pandemic when the podcast was first created, we all realised there was a huge hunger from the audience for practical advice on the existential threat that this new pandemic represented. The idea was to create something that would cut through the firehose of information that was coming out, and give people the tools to navigate that day of the pandemic but only asking 10 minutes of them.
How is the Delta strain different to previous strains of COVID-19? And, how effective are masks at stopping the spread?
Delta is more transmissible – that is, contagious – than earlier strains, and it might cause more severe disease. But masks are still a useful way of cutting down your risk of catching the virus, or passing it on if you have it and don’t realise it (if you have it and you know it, you shouldn’t be around other people!). It’s just one of a few things that help dial down the risk, along with social distancing, good ventilation and of course, getting vaccinated!
Do you remember how you felt when COVID-19 first started breaking out, what were your thoughts? Did you know it would escalate to the levels it has?
I’ll be honest, at first when I heard about a mysterious pneumonia in China I was nerdily curious – I’ve been interested in disease outbreaks and medical mysteries for a while. But I truly didn’t think it would escalate to this level. I imagined it would be like the initial SARS virus – a significant outbreak, and a serious disease, but that it would be brought under control and fizzle out within a few months or a year. I’m very sorry to have been wrong about this.
What are the real risks of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines? And why do you think there is so much fear around getting them from some people?
The risks of these vaccines are spelled out very clearly by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration and Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation – they track every side effect that is reported after a vaccination and figure out whether they are likely to be linked to the vaccine or a coincidence. AstraZeneca does have a very small risk of a blood clotting disorder that can be serious – but it’s a risk that pales in comparison to many of the risks we take regularly without thinking about it, and especially in comparison to the risk that comes with catching COVID itself. Similarly the Pfizer vaccine seems to be linked with inflammation in or around the heart in some people.
In Australia we’ve been very lucky, on the whole, to have been protected from the scale of the pandemic so far. Up until very recently the idea of catching COVID or seeing someone you love suffer has been mostly theoretical, and the threat of even a tiny risk from a vaccine maybe seemed bigger in comparison. But literally tens of millions of people around the world have had these vaccines now, and they’re making a difference in protecting those people. Also, it’s amazing these vaccines are available to us so quickly, but that doesn’t mean they were rushed. They’re the product of research that has been going on steadily for years, global research collaboration and most importantly, funding! Which is the thing that often slows really important, effective science and medicine down.
When will Australia have access to other vaccines and are there any risks involved with them that are different to our existing supplies?
We’re meant to have Moderna, another mRNA vaccine similar to Pfizer, starting from this month (September). We’ve also got an agreement with Novavax for further down the track. In future years, other COVID vaccines will come on the market. The thing to think about with risk is that the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration examines every medicine and vaccine that is going to end up in the Australian system and it is thorough and scrupulous. And then once vaccines are approved they continue to monitor them. The scrutiny that COVID vaccines are under is some of the closest in medical history. We’re very lucky to live in a country where these things are examined so thoroughly. But if you’re ever unsure about how they relate to your personal health, talk to a GP you trust and who knows your medical history.
Let's change gears. We’ve found that listening to music is a great way to lift our moods. What’s your favourite genre of music, and do you have any song recommendations?
I’ve been listening to the Hamilton soundtrack more or less on repeat for about three years. I’m sure other types of music exist but I can’t remember what they are anymore.
Lockdowns can be tough mentally. What are your top tips and resources to help get through?
Putting down my phone is one of the things I find helps my mood the most. Move your body every day. Hug your pet, family members or housemates if you have them. I also never realised how much joy houseplants give me until the first lockdown last year, and now I’m one of those people with plant cuttings all over the place. |
